Uproar over lion tacos at Fla. restaurant

Published May 09, 2013

FoxNews.com

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It's creating a roar among customers and critics alike: Lion meat is the latest item to land on tortillas at South Tampa's 'Taco Fusion' restaurant.

"Our whole thought process of bringing the exotic meats to the Tampa Bay area was to give people the opportunity to try things they normally wouldn't get to try," restaurant manager Brad Barnett told MyFoxTampaBay.com.

The dish isn't for the faint of heart when it comes to your taste buds or your budget -- A pound of the meat costs about $220, so just one taco will take a $35 bite out of your wallet.

"Nothing like eating a predator to make you feel like a predator, I guess," one customer offered.

"It tastes kind of like venison and the texture is like gator," another said.

The restaurant calls it exotic. But some animal activists say it's exploitation.

"I think it's appalling," stated Jeff Kremer of Tampa's Big Cat Rescue. "I think we, as a society, have to define what we find morally and ethically acceptable."

Click here for more from MyFoxTampaBay.com

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2013 James Beard restaurant and chef award winners

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The winners of the 2013 James Beard Foundation restaurant and chef awards announced Monday are:

NATIONAL CHEF AWARDS:

Outstanding Restaurant

Blue Hill in New York City

Outstanding Chef

David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City

and

Paul Kahan of Blackbird in Chicago

Best New Restaurant

State Bird Provisions in San Francisco

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional

Merry Edwards of Merry Edwards Winery in Sebastopol, Calif.

Outstanding Wine Program

Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colo.

Outstanding Bar Program

The Aviary in Chicago

Outstanding Service

Del Posto in New York City

Outstanding Pastry Chef

Brooks Headley of Del Posto in New York City

Outstanding Restaurateur

Maguy Le Coze of Le Bernardin in New York City

Rising Star Chef of the Year

Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco and New York City

REGIONAL CHEF AWARDS

Great Lakes

Stephanie Izard of Girl & the Goat in Chicago

Mid-Atlantic

Johnny Monis of Komi in Washington, D.C.

Midwest

Colby Garrelts of Bluestem in Kansas City, Mo.

New York City

Wylie Dufresne of wd-50

Northeast

Melissa Kelly of Primo in Rockland, Maine

Northwest

Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland, Ore.

South

Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace in New Orleans

Southeast

Joseph Lenn of The Barn at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tenn.

Southwest

Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja in Denver

West

Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, Calif.

James Beard Foundation America's Classics

C.F. Folks in Washington, D.C.

Owner: Art Carlson

Frank Fat's in Sacramento, Calif.

Owners: The Fat family

Keens Steakhouse in New York City

Owner: George Schwarz

Kramarczuk's in Minneapolis

Owner: Orest Kramarczuk

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville

Owner: Andre Prince Jeffries

James Beard Foundation Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America Inductees

Eric Asimov, author and journalist, New York City

Dorothy Kalins, editor, New York City

Barbara Lynch, chef and restaurateur, Boston

Zarela Martinez, chef and restaurateur, New York City

Michael Mina, chef and restaurateur, San Francisco

Bill Yosses, author and pastry chef, Washington, D.C.

James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award

Cecilia Chiang, chef and restaurateur, San Francisco

James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year

Emeril Lagasse, Emeril Lagasse Foundation, New Orleans

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2013 James Beard restaurant and chef award winners

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Restaurant posts line cook job with 44 over-the-top requirements

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  Line cook job posting from FARMBloomington posted on Craigslist.

Would you want to work here? 

FARMBloomington, a farm-to-table restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana posted a job on Craigslist for a line cook position in a kitchen that sounds like from hell.

The ad listed an amazing 44 requirements for the gig –including these zingers:

--you never complain - especially about things the chef can't control like customer requests, the hours the restaurant is open, how busy or slow it is, etc.

--you always show up for work, even if you're sick as a dog. Let the chef see you're really sick and send you home.

--you cook your dishes exactly as the chef taught you, the same every time.

--you are conscious of minimizing waste – each $1.00 saved in waste is worth about $1.30 in revenue.

-- “Yes, chef!” or “Oui, chef!” is the only proper response in a traditional kitchen. All questions to cooks will be phrased such that “Yes, chef!” is the correct and only response. If it sounds militaristic, that’s where it came from.

Harry Shafer, general manager at FARMbloomington, said a sous chef put up the job posting-- which was taken from another site-- without reading it thoroughly. 

“It was taken down as soon as we were aware of the negatives listed.  I promise that the ad does not reflect the kind of business we run,” Shafer told FoxNews.com in an email.

It’s common knowledge that being a line cook is grueling work. A candidate must endure long hours, low pay and few breaks.  An entry level line cook job starts at as low as $8 an hour and doesn't really get much higher than $24. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national median wage for line cooks in 2011 was $10.61.

While the ad only stayed up on Craigslist for a few minutes, FARMBloomington admitted it did have some bad help in the past.

Shafer added: “’Sick’ associates are most often just hungover, so it is our policy that the managers decide if they cannot work.”

They haven’t revised the job opening as of yet, so we can’t tell if this line about showing up for work “even if you’re sick as a dog” will remain a requirement.

But Shafer pointed out that the restaurant’s hourly staff gets paid time-and-a-half if they work over 40 hours, and they receive gift cards as bonuses.  

He added: “Although we do run a tight ship and a very professional kitchen, I promise you our staff enjoys themselves while they are here (at least as much as someone can while working).”

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Restaurant criticized for sign comparing beer and domestic violence

'Breastaurant' trademarked by Bikinis restaurant chain

Who the heck is Thug Kitchen?

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Restaurant criticized for sign comparing beer and domestic violence

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A Texas restaurant sparked a heaping dish of controversy this weekend for posting a sign on its marquee making fun of domestic violence.

Roots Bistro, an organic, vegetarian-friendly restaurant in Houston, put up a sign outside the restaurant Saturday that read: "Beer should be like violence: domestic."

According the the Houston Chronicle the sign had been up for only 10 minutes, yet it quickly drew criticism on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter as  passersby who took pictures of the sign and posted pictures on the Internet.  

(See an image of the sign.) 

One user, Amanda Nash wrote on Roots Bistro's  Facebook, "Was really disappointed when I saw this...domestic violence is not a joke."

Manager Kenneth Choate explained that the saying was taken off the Internet by an employee who had seen it on an another business’ marquee, the Chronicle reported.

"Everyone makes mistakes," said Choate. "We completely deserved the backlash, and I can't be mad at anyone but myself," he told the Houston Press.

But in another lapse of judgment, the restaurant took down the offensive sign and put up another sign that read: "Seriously, focus your energy on equal rights."

That sparked even more anger.

One used, named Allison Marek wrote: “I'm MOST upset about the second sign that made light of the damage the first sign did. Ya'll are like a little kid that has to be forced to apologize for doing something hurtful.”

By Sunday, the restaurant posted a full apology on its marquee, that read: "Sorry a million times over Houston."

Later and an unnamed general manager at Roots Bistro posted this apology on the company’s Facebook page: "As the General Manager of Roots Bistro I would like to formally apologize for our recent signage . In no way would we ever ever promote violence on any level. We work tirelessly to support the people and organizations in this city and would never want to hurt or offend anyone."

Facebook followers noted that the restaurant finally got it right. Facebook user Jennifer Guerrero wrote, "You shouldn't need to do more you guys are amazing and no matter what there will always be someone upset."

Yet, some said they will continue to protest with their wallets.

Another user wrote: “I think this is a case of crocodile tears in regards to the apology. Even my dark sense of humor doesn't find this funny. Maybe next month, they'll joke about pedophilia or rape. It's too bad-our family makes it a point to look for organic food all the time. We'll go elsewhere.”

View the original article here

'Breastaurant' trademarked by Bikinis restaurant chain

Published April 09, 2013

FoxNews.com

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  Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill

A breast-themed restaurant by any other name may not be as sweet. While scantily-clad women and burgers are a classic American combination, chains like Hooters, Twin Peaks and Canz have lost the rights to use the terminology “breastaurant"  for the iconic combo.

Doug Guller, founder and CEO of the Texas-based restaurant chain Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, announced in a press release last week that Bikinis has secured the trademark for the term through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

“We’re really excited about receiving this federal trademark,” Doug Guller said in the press release. “Our team has worked hard over the last seven years to offer a unique experience to our fans. It just further solidifies that Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill is America’s ONLY breastaurant®.”

The sports bar chain features waitresses in low-cut bikini-style tops and short jean skirts and plans to grow from 14 to 50 eateries in the next five years.

According to a 2012 report by Technomic, a food industry research firm, the industry for breast-themed restaurants has seen boom while other less boob-focused restaurants have experienced steady declines.

If this trend continues, Guller has a lot to gain from owning the term "breastaurant"...or excuse us, breastaurant®.

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View the original article here

Restaurant owner uses Twitter to out people who blew off reservations

Published March 26, 2013

FoxNews.com

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Want a little public humiliation with those summer rolls? 

Eater reports that the owner of a Los Angeles restaurant has been taking to the eatery's Twitter account to shame people who make reservations and don’t show up or call to cancel.

“All the nice guests who wonder why restaurants overbook and they sometimes have to wait for their res should thank people like those below,” wrote Noah Ellis, managing partner at the Vietnamese-fusion restaurant Red Medicine. 

He then listed them by name and time of their reservation this past Saturday.

Ellis says no-show customers ruin restaurants because “either restaurants are forced to overbook and make the guests (that actually showed up) wait, or they do what we do, turn away guests for some prime-time slots because they’re booked, and then have empty tables.”

Many popular restaurants no longer take reservations, but that policy is a double-edged sword.  Not taking reservations turns away customers who don't want to wait for a table. But holding tables runs the risk of no-show customers.

Ellis says he tried says he tried requiring a credit card but that didn't work.  He says he'll stick with reservations. 

“I think if [no reservations] works for them, it’s awesome,” he said. “As long as they’re consistently busy, or at least predictably busy, they can schedule and order accordingly, and if the guests are cool with it and willing to deal with it, all the better.”

But some say Ellis went too far be calling out the no-show?  A person named Justin N tweeted: “If more restaurants did this, people might be more respectful. It's like reverse Yelp.”

What do you think?

View the original article here

Top chefs battle for restaurant dominance in Las Vegas

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Las Vegas isn’t just a gambling and nightlife hotspot – its one of the best places in the world to get a meal.

For the world’s big-named chefs, vying to outdo each other with ever-more innovative restaurants and powerful brands, making a mark in Sin City is key to building on success. 

British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay says he’s always looked to Vegas as one of the world’s culinary capitals.

"One of my first ambitions when I fell in love with this country more than 20 years ago was to absolutely nail a steak house here," says Ramsay.

Ramsay, who owns Gordon Ramsay Steak at the Paris, Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill at Caesars and the newly opened BurGR at Planet Hollywood, says the Las Vegas market now is more competitive than any city in the world because every chef has an outlet there.

“There's no other city in the world that houses so many top chefs, so everyone raises the game. So the more chefs that come in, the higher the standards," he says.

While Ramsey has three locations, Wolgang Puck has seven, which include Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, CUT and Trattoria del Lupo. Puck was one of the first celebrity chef’s in Las Vegas, when he opened Spago more than 20 years ago.

"I'm really proud of being here for 20 years, big part of the community, knowing so many great people and Las Vegas is my second home," says Puck.

Hotels and casinos hope that big name chefs will help attract guests.  Topping the bill are chefs Susan Feniger and Sue Millikens’ Border Grill, Michael Mina’s Stripsteak and Hubert Keller’s Fleur.  Also attracting attention are Alain Ducasse’s Mix and Brian Massie’s Red Square.

Ramsay says that this five cooking shows, which air on FOX, bring people to the table (“Hell’s Kitchen” season 11 just kicked off with its premiere shot in Vegas). But it’s the food that keeps them coming back.

"I think the pressure on the chef today is far greater than ever before, their on more financial pressure, so TV exposure can help fill their dining rooms, providing the standard of the dining room is what they preached, they'll never have an issue."

View the original article here

Parody website pops up for Guy Fieri’s infamous NYC restaurant

For those who like to rip into Guy Fieri, the spiky-haired Food Network star's New York City restaurant is like the comedy gift that keeps on giving.

Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar in Times Square infamously received a scathing review in the New York Times for its subpar food and decor, which then went viral and even led to an unaired, but rehearsed, Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live.

Now, GuysAmericanKitchenandBar.com, a website with a fake menu for the low rated eatery, is making the rounds on the Internet, according to Eater. The real site for Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar is GuysAmerican.com.          

Among the highlights of the parody menu is the Superbowl Bash Bro’det: “A bidet jammed to the brim with bubbling, overflowing Velveeta over a hidden layer of hamburger-fisted pig skins and a generous sprinkling of Dirt South Couch Crumbs. The bidet is an MP3 player that plays Smash Mouth while you eat.”  

Another item on the fake menu is “Guy’s Big Balls,” which are described as “two 4-pound Rice-A-Roni crusted mozzarella balls endangered with shaved lamb and pork and blasted with Guy’s signature Cadillac Cream sauce.”

Claiming responsibility for the spoof is programmer Bryan Mytko.

“Guy Fieri didn't register his restaurant's domain name, so I picked it up. I think this new menu look great,” Mytko tweeted on Tuesday. However, it is worth noting that, apparently, many of the jokes were taken from other Twitter users without their knowledge.  

So far Fieri has been mum on the fake menu, and his representative has not responded to questions from FoxNews.com. 

Fieri’s restaurant isn't the only restaurant to recently come under attack.  On Monday, hackers breached the Twitter account of Burger King, posting obscene messages and changing its profile picture to a McDonald's logo.

View the original article here